See the inspiring finalists for 2023 Senior Australian of the Year
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We here at the SDC believe that, in challenging times like this, a good dose of inspiration can really go a long way towards brightening up our lives.
That’s why we’re especially delighted to report on the selection of the eight finalists for the 2023 Senior Australian of the Year, a title bestowed on outstanding seniors who have devoted their lives and talents to serving their communities.
These eight finalists – from areas as diverse as palliative care and education, mental health, and community service – all share the common goal of building a better and more socially just Australia for the generations to come. A special and noble goal, if we may say so!
Let’s spend a minute getting to know each of the inspirational finalists for the 2023 Senior Australian of the Year.
The mower with a mission
Claude Lyle Harvey OAM is a proud Senior Australian of the Year finalist who has been pushing a broken lawnmower (called Moyra) around Australia for 20 years to raise much-needed money for struggling not-for-profit organisations.
It all started when Claude heard the harrowing story of the sexual abuse of two young girls he knew.
‘I thought to myself, 'I could sit here all day and whinge about this and what's happened to these two girls or I could do something about it',’ he said.
That was his moment of reckoning - the moment he decided he wanted to do more and make a difference. And that he did. Claude continues to defy expectations and break boundaries, including taking Moyra across Australia.
‘I thought to myself, “If I took a random lawnmower, the whole world will take notice of me”.’
In the end, Claude successfully pushed the mower 23,000 kilometres, through seven states and managed to raise more than $1.6 million for the not-for-profit Bravehearts! The Bravehearts Foundation works to stop child sexual abuse.
Claude’s story serves as an inspiration to us all and shows us the power of having a vision and the courage to pursue it against all the odds.
Taking preventive action
Paediatrician Frank Oberklaid AM has dedicated his career to preventing certain mental health issues and developmental problems from manifesting in their full form.
‘If we could have detected them earlier, we could have stopped them from getting more serious,’ Oberklaid said.
‘It prompted me to start researching, what are the antecedents of these problems? And importantly, what can we do to stop these problems from occurring in the first place?’
He has since pioneered a program to establish mental health and wellbeing coordinators in Victorian primary schools.
‘Teachers are in an ideal position to detect problems as they're starting to emerge when children first struggle,’ he said.
Frank is a believer in investing in young children early on, as a responsible and proactive approach is the only way to make sure no one is unfairly left behind.
The leader who lights the way
Leading the fight against suicide on the Tiwi Islands of Australia is no easy feat, but Bernard Tipiloura (and his wife, Lynette Johnson) have worked hard at it – scaling back the Tiwi Islands’ suicide rates.
He has helped the community achieve this major feat over the past 20 years.
When asked about how he managed to make such a great impact on his community, Bernard responded that it was due to his focus on preserving and carrying on cultural knowledge. Through passing down traditional practices, songs, and ways of life, he was able to provide his people with a sense of pride and purpose.
‘I enjoy working with young people about suicide,’ he said.
‘I teach them about their father's homeland, their mother's homeland, their mother dancing, their father dancing, his father dancing.’
‘That's the only way we can improve young persons to understand and to improve — to continue the culture that we have created.’
The doctor who goes the extra mile
When Teresa Plane was a nursing student, she ran down a fire escape after a patient died in front of her. But she didn’t let her fear stop her from finishing her studies.
In 1962, Teresa changed the world of nursing forever when she funded and founded Sevenhills hospital. This hospital, with its 20 beds, was just the start of a lifetime of work for the valiant doctor, leading her to one day complete an incredible world tour in order to learn more about palliative care after hearing of Swiss palliative care pioneer Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
‘I had never thought about dying,’ she said.
‘I was a very death-denying person myself.’
‘And then Elisabeth challenged me.’
‘I saw this excellence of pain control, I saw the families, the person with life-threatening and limiting illness, they were supported,’ she said.
After coming back from her tour, Teresa’s primary goal was to make sure that palliative care is introduced from the moment of diagnosis – providing people with ‘love in action’ and ‘a journey of hope and trust’.
The CEO who cares
Theresa Kwok, a migrant from Hong Kong, fully understands the challenges and difficulties that immigrants face.
‘I faced a lot of difficulties, challenges, and barriers, like a lot of the migrants,’ she said.
‘To me, it is such a big thing.’
Through the Chung Wah Association, Ms Kwok connected with a mostly forgotten part of the migrant community in Australia.
Now, as CEO of Perth's Chung Wah Community and Aged Care, she puts herself in the shoes of every person she serves (all 800 of them), finding the most effective way to help.
Theresa says that her services are about much more than just ‘helping individuals’; in order for real transformation to occur, everyone needs to join in and work together.
Anti-discrimination crusader
Darwin-born Tom Calma AO has played a major role in inspiring and helping shape many Indigenous calls-to-arms, ranging from Close the Gap to Voice to Parliament. As a social justice campaigner, he constantly raises awareness about the many forms of discrimination and bias.
‘The racism that exists out there, be it subtle, or be it very overt, it's with us,’ Calma said.
‘My message is that we all need to reflect because what we say, in human rights terms, is that “racism stops with me”.’
Tom’s anti-discrimination advocacy led to him becoming a renowned chancellor of the University of Canberra, mentor, youth volunteer, and of course, a finalist for the 2023 Senior Australian of the Year awards. And as if that wasn’t enough, he’s even joined the fight against vaping, calling out big tobacco companies.
‘We're up against the big, big tobacco companies out there flogging off their vapes and e-cigarettes and our big concern is that they become gateways to taking up tobacco smoking,’ he said.
An ongoing fight for healthcare
Dr Frances Donaldson brought a lifetime of nursing, midwifery, and general practice knowledge to Tasmania’s fight against COVID-19. For the past two years, she has worked as one of the lead doctors with COVID@homeplus service, keeping about 27,000 Tasmanians out of the hospital.
Her journey took her from nurse to midwife, to director of nursing, and finally, to becoming a doctor in her 40s.
‘I think being a nurse has made me a much better doctor,’ she said.
Dr Donaldson also previously spent 12 years working in the prison health system.
‘We need to be able to provide prisoners the same health care services that the average person in the street can receive,’ she said.
The social worker taking on policy change
Wirangu woman Sandra Miller left her government job as a social worker to push for government policy changes.
‘Just being an Aboriginal person who is witnessing the hardship of my people,’ she said.
‘There was no way I could walk away from that.’
‘And I never will actually.’
To date, one of her biggest achievements has been writing the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle which was implemented nationwide.
Her policy changes have also encouraged more Aboriginal people to become foster parents.
The 2023 Senior Australian of the Year will be announced on January 25.
That’s why we’re especially delighted to report on the selection of the eight finalists for the 2023 Senior Australian of the Year, a title bestowed on outstanding seniors who have devoted their lives and talents to serving their communities.
These eight finalists – from areas as diverse as palliative care and education, mental health, and community service – all share the common goal of building a better and more socially just Australia for the generations to come. A special and noble goal, if we may say so!
Let’s spend a minute getting to know each of the inspirational finalists for the 2023 Senior Australian of the Year.
Here are the Senior Australian of the Year finalists! Image Credit: ABC
The mower with a mission
Claude Lyle Harvey OAM is a proud Senior Australian of the Year finalist who has been pushing a broken lawnmower (called Moyra) around Australia for 20 years to raise much-needed money for struggling not-for-profit organisations.
It all started when Claude heard the harrowing story of the sexual abuse of two young girls he knew.
‘I thought to myself, 'I could sit here all day and whinge about this and what's happened to these two girls or I could do something about it',’ he said.
That was his moment of reckoning - the moment he decided he wanted to do more and make a difference. And that he did. Claude continues to defy expectations and break boundaries, including taking Moyra across Australia.
‘I thought to myself, “If I took a random lawnmower, the whole world will take notice of me”.’
In the end, Claude successfully pushed the mower 23,000 kilometres, through seven states and managed to raise more than $1.6 million for the not-for-profit Bravehearts! The Bravehearts Foundation works to stop child sexual abuse.
Claude’s story serves as an inspiration to us all and shows us the power of having a vision and the courage to pursue it against all the odds.
Taking preventive action
Paediatrician Frank Oberklaid AM has dedicated his career to preventing certain mental health issues and developmental problems from manifesting in their full form.
‘If we could have detected them earlier, we could have stopped them from getting more serious,’ Oberklaid said.
‘It prompted me to start researching, what are the antecedents of these problems? And importantly, what can we do to stop these problems from occurring in the first place?’
He has since pioneered a program to establish mental health and wellbeing coordinators in Victorian primary schools.
‘Teachers are in an ideal position to detect problems as they're starting to emerge when children first struggle,’ he said.
Frank is a believer in investing in young children early on, as a responsible and proactive approach is the only way to make sure no one is unfairly left behind.
The leader who lights the way
Leading the fight against suicide on the Tiwi Islands of Australia is no easy feat, but Bernard Tipiloura (and his wife, Lynette Johnson) have worked hard at it – scaling back the Tiwi Islands’ suicide rates.
He has helped the community achieve this major feat over the past 20 years.
When asked about how he managed to make such a great impact on his community, Bernard responded that it was due to his focus on preserving and carrying on cultural knowledge. Through passing down traditional practices, songs, and ways of life, he was able to provide his people with a sense of pride and purpose.
‘I enjoy working with young people about suicide,’ he said.
‘I teach them about their father's homeland, their mother's homeland, their mother dancing, their father dancing, his father dancing.’
‘That's the only way we can improve young persons to understand and to improve — to continue the culture that we have created.’
The doctor who goes the extra mile
When Teresa Plane was a nursing student, she ran down a fire escape after a patient died in front of her. But she didn’t let her fear stop her from finishing her studies.
In 1962, Teresa changed the world of nursing forever when she funded and founded Sevenhills hospital. This hospital, with its 20 beds, was just the start of a lifetime of work for the valiant doctor, leading her to one day complete an incredible world tour in order to learn more about palliative care after hearing of Swiss palliative care pioneer Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
‘I had never thought about dying,’ she said.
‘I was a very death-denying person myself.’
‘And then Elisabeth challenged me.’
‘I saw this excellence of pain control, I saw the families, the person with life-threatening and limiting illness, they were supported,’ she said.
After coming back from her tour, Teresa’s primary goal was to make sure that palliative care is introduced from the moment of diagnosis – providing people with ‘love in action’ and ‘a journey of hope and trust’.
The CEO who cares
Theresa Kwok, a migrant from Hong Kong, fully understands the challenges and difficulties that immigrants face.
‘I faced a lot of difficulties, challenges, and barriers, like a lot of the migrants,’ she said.
‘To me, it is such a big thing.’
Through the Chung Wah Association, Ms Kwok connected with a mostly forgotten part of the migrant community in Australia.
Now, as CEO of Perth's Chung Wah Community and Aged Care, she puts herself in the shoes of every person she serves (all 800 of them), finding the most effective way to help.
Theresa says that her services are about much more than just ‘helping individuals’; in order for real transformation to occur, everyone needs to join in and work together.
Anti-discrimination crusader
Darwin-born Tom Calma AO has played a major role in inspiring and helping shape many Indigenous calls-to-arms, ranging from Close the Gap to Voice to Parliament. As a social justice campaigner, he constantly raises awareness about the many forms of discrimination and bias.
‘The racism that exists out there, be it subtle, or be it very overt, it's with us,’ Calma said.
‘My message is that we all need to reflect because what we say, in human rights terms, is that “racism stops with me”.’
Tom’s anti-discrimination advocacy led to him becoming a renowned chancellor of the University of Canberra, mentor, youth volunteer, and of course, a finalist for the 2023 Senior Australian of the Year awards. And as if that wasn’t enough, he’s even joined the fight against vaping, calling out big tobacco companies.
‘We're up against the big, big tobacco companies out there flogging off their vapes and e-cigarettes and our big concern is that they become gateways to taking up tobacco smoking,’ he said.
An ongoing fight for healthcare
Dr Frances Donaldson brought a lifetime of nursing, midwifery, and general practice knowledge to Tasmania’s fight against COVID-19. For the past two years, she has worked as one of the lead doctors with COVID@homeplus service, keeping about 27,000 Tasmanians out of the hospital.
Her journey took her from nurse to midwife, to director of nursing, and finally, to becoming a doctor in her 40s.
‘I think being a nurse has made me a much better doctor,’ she said.
Dr Donaldson also previously spent 12 years working in the prison health system.
‘We need to be able to provide prisoners the same health care services that the average person in the street can receive,’ she said.
The social worker taking on policy change
Wirangu woman Sandra Miller left her government job as a social worker to push for government policy changes.
‘Just being an Aboriginal person who is witnessing the hardship of my people,’ she said.
‘There was no way I could walk away from that.’
‘And I never will actually.’
To date, one of her biggest achievements has been writing the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle which was implemented nationwide.
Her policy changes have also encouraged more Aboriginal people to become foster parents.
The 2023 Senior Australian of the Year will be announced on January 25.
In the meantime, you can hear from the finalists directly here:
Credit: ABC
Credit: ABC
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